Written records and electronic records are important organizational tools for researchers and practitioners in many fields, such as health care, education, social services, and business management. Traditional written records and electronic records (databases) are only as secure as the media in which they are written. Two significant concerns for many hoping to use database records in remote areas of the world are confidentiality and connectivity.
Using local sources—such as written records or local computer hard drives—for recording sensitive database contents, is not desirable. If the written record is stolen, or the local computer crashes, the security of the data is compromised. Written databases with sensitive data are easy targets for thieves or those hoping to compromise the integrity of the data. The security of and access to electronic databases are subject to several factors—computer hard drive reliability, access to electricity, and the physical integrity of the computer itself, just to name a few.
Therefore, a need exists for devices, methods and systems that address the underlying problems relating to collecting data, from remote locations and populations which desire to remain anonymous.